Sterilizing apparatus.



G. H. CLOUD.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED nic.2z. IeIe.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I ILIHIFIITLVKILVLILHIIF www@ e. H. CLOUD.

STEPLLLZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 050.22. 1916.

` 1 77,387. Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

I'N 3 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

G. H. CLOUD.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION vFILED mac. 2z. 19m.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

3`SHEETS-SHEET 3 WIIUAI H Il GEORGE H. CLOUD, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE FRANKLIN BAKER COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

Specification of Letterslatent.

sTEmLIzING APPARATUS.

- 4Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Application filed December-22, 1916. Serial No. 138,379.

To all whom t may concern.' I

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. CLOUD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Sterilizing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My inventlon relates to the sterilization of canned products, and comprises certain improvements in so-called can-cooking apparatus in which cans containing food products to be sterilized are introduced into and removed from a Steam chest or other heating chamber. Y

My invention comprises means for introducing the cans to the steam chest or'heating chamber; means for traversing the cans, preferablyv in a circuitous path, through said steam' chest or chamber, and means for removing the cans from said chamber; all of said means being automatically controlled so that when the machine -has been set in motion, cans may be fed continuously thereto and will be continuously delivered by the same. l

My invention comprises further the utilization of screw. conveyers for carrying the cans, preferably in a circuitous path, through the steam chest of the apparatus; such screw conveyers being arranged to move the cans back and forth in said steam chest whereby a relatively great extent 'of movement may be imparted to the cans within a comparatively short chamber. By this means, the cans may be subjected to the desired yheat for the required length of time in a relatively limited space.

My invention further includes various details of construction and means for operating the various partsof the apparatus to insure the desired timedrelation between the mechanism employed and the entering and discharging cans.

These and other features of my invention will be morev fully described hereinafter, referencex being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a sterilizing apparatus made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View on the line III-III, Fig. 2, on a larger scale, a part of the steam chest and conveyers being broken away.

:Fig 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line IV-IV, Fig. 3.

'Fi 5 is a cross sectional view on the line V, Fig. 4, and

Figs. 6 and 7 are views of the opposite `faces of a cam disk which I employ.

The cans to be heated or sterilized may be delivered to a suitable conveyer 1, indicated in Figs. l and 4 of the drawings by dotted lines, and by means of this conveyer they are presented to the valved inlet 2,0f the apparatus. 'Ihe cans are fed one by one to the mouth 3 of this valved inlet, and are pushed by swinging arms 5, which may haverollers 6 at their engaging ends, into a vertically movable feeding member 7, which may be in the form of a iston valve. rlhe central portion of the fee ing member is cut away at 8 to receive'the cans, while the ends 9 and 10 of the same form `steamtlght joints with the walls of the inlet channel 2; said ends being packed at 11, if de- ',sired, to insure the non-escape of steam or other heating medium during the insertion and withdrawal of the cans.

Immediately following the introduction of a can to the feeding member 7 the same is lowered to bring the can opposite a paslsage 12 leading from said inlet to conveying means within a steam chamber 13; such conveying means consisting in the present instance of rotating screws 14, 14a and 14". The cansare pushed from the feeding member onto the screw 14 by a pusher 15 disposed opposite 'the end of the passage 12 leading to such screw; such pusher being operated externally of the machine and being carried by a stem 16, suitably packed, to prevent the escape of steam or `other heating medium.

Within the sterilizing chamber, I employ a plurality of screws as described, which move the cans in a circuitous path, and While more or less maybe employed, I have shown in the present .apparatus three screws, the length of which may be anything necessary to insure `that the cans will remain in the steam chest of the sterilizing apparatus the desired length of time. These screws are carried by shafts 17 suitably journaled in the end frames 18 and 19, of the apparatus, and packed at 20 to insure against leakage of steam; said shafts carrying at one of their outer ends bevel pinions 2l meshing with similar driving pinions 22 on a shaft 23. to which motion may be imparted by suitable means. as hereinafter described.

The screws are operated in such manner as to move the cans in opposite directions through the circuitous channel. For this purpose, the screw 14 while moving the cans forward in the .first channel Will tend to hold them toward the leftehand side so that they may hug the inner wall of said channel at the turn 1v. At such turn, a can will be momentarily halted since it can not be picked up immediately by the second screw 14, but must Wait until the'succeedmg can moved by the screw 14 has pushed it onto said second screw. In the movement of the cans by the second screw, they will be caused to hug the right-hand wall of the second channel so as to round the end v/ of such wall in proper manner` and as described with reference to rounding the corner w; thence passing to the third screw 14", which delivers the cans one by one to a vertically movable discharge member in the form of a piston valve 7L vertically movable in a discharge passage 2a.

`When said discharge passage is reached, arms 25. located within the steam chest are automatically swung into position to move the can from the screw 14 into the open portion 8*L of the valve 7a, whereupon the latter is raised until it is in line with an outlet- 3a leading from said discharge passage 2a, at which point the can is engaged by a pusher 31 and moved out of the valve member 7a onto a suitable delivery conveyer 32, indicated by broken lilies, Fig. 4.

The channels or passages for the cans have angle members 35 forming ways upon which the cans move; said angle members being supported by brackets 36, which may be carried by the top. Wall of the steam chamber 13, as indicated in Fig. 5 so as to properly guide the cans as the latter are moved by the conveyer screws.

For the purpose of operating the several moving parts of the structure, I provide a driving shaft 40, which may be suitably journaled above the structure in brackets 41; such shaft carrying a disk 42 having cam grooves 43 and 44 on opposite sides of the same which are shown more particularly in Figs. 6 and 7.

.The inlet and discharge members for introducing and removing cans from the steam chamber in the form of open center piston valve members 7 and 7, are connected to rods 45 which are in turn connected to lever arms 46 and 46 carried b rock shafts 47 and 47 journaled in brac (ets 41 and 41; said shafts having arms 48 and 48 connected by a rod 49 so that motion imparted to one of said arms, the arm 48 for instan ;e, by engagement of a roller 50 carried thereby-with the cam groove 43, Will actuate said piston valve members 7 and 7EL to lower and raise the cans in the inlet and discharge passages 2 and 2a, respectively.

In addition, the shaft 40 carries a chain wheel 51 over which a sprocket chain 52 passes whereby motion may be imparted to a wheel 53 on the shaft 23 to drive the conveyer screws 14, 14 and 14h, through the medium of the bevel pinions 21 and 22. In addition suitable connecting rods 54 and 54a 75 and cranks 55 and 55a are provided to operate the conveyer belt 1 which feeds the cans to the inlet end of the machine; the pulley for the latter being driven by a ratchet 56, and pawl 56a carried by a crank arm 57 connected to and operated by the rod 54a. IThe conveyer belt 32 at the discharge end of the machine may be driven by.A any suitable means.

The swinging arms 5 Which move the cans from the belt 1 to the inlet valve member 7 and the swinging arms 25 which move the cans out of the steam chest channel and into the discharge valve 7a are actuated byrods 58 and 58a, driven by a lever 59 pivot- 90 ally huno' from an arm 60 carried by the rock shatt 47 and having a roller 61 adapted to the cam grove 44 so as to beoperated thereby.

rlhe pushers 15 and 31, constituting the means for removing the cans from the inlet and discharge piston members 7 and 7a may be operated by a sliding rod 62 Which is adapted to guides 63 on top of the sterilizing structure; which rod 62 may be actu- 100 ated by an arm or lever 64 having a roller 65 adapted to the cam groove 44; said lever 64 having a forked end 64a for engagement with a pin or boss 66 on said rod 62.

Suitable connections will be provided for introducing steam or other heating medium to the steam chest to properly heat the cans, such for instance as the pipe 67, and if steam is used, proper means will be employed to insure the removal of the Water of condensation, as through a trap of suitable construction (not shown) an outlet which may lead to such trap being indicated at 68.'

I claim:

1. The combination, in av sterilizer, of a steam chamber having a plurality of channels disposed side by side, screws`underlying said channels and having a portion within the same for operative engagement with cans disposed on end, said screws having their threads engaging the lower can head, vertically disposed inlet and outlet passages at the ends of said steam chamber and communicating therewith in the same plane,

means for driving said screws, and means vertically movable in said passages for introducing cans to and removing them from said conveyer screws, sald last-named means comprising a piston valve having end heads and an intermediate can opening into which `Lavaca? the cans are received and supported in an A upright position during the transfer to and discharge from the steam chamber.

2. The combination, in a sterilizer, of a steam chamber having a plurality of chan-` nels disposed side by side, screws underlying.

said channels and having a portion within the same for operative engagement jvith,

cans disposed on end, said screws having their threads engaging the lower can head, vertically disposed inlet and outlet passages at the opposite ends of said steam chamber;

said passages being offset longitudinally withv respect to each other; means for driving said screws; and vertically movable members operable in said passages for introducing cans to and removing' them from said conveyer screws, said members having end heads and an intermediate can receiving space with a horizontal wall forming a slipport for the bottom head of the can. i

3. The combination, in a sterilizing apparatus, of a steam chamber having a plurality of channels disposed side by side, screws underlying said channels and having a portion within the same for operative engagement with a plurality of cans disposed oii end. said screws having their. threads engaging the lower can head, vertical passages at the opposite ends of said steam chamber, means for driving said. screws, vertically arranged piston valves movable in said pas-l sages and having open centers for introducing cans to and removing them from said screws, each of said -passages having an inlet and van outlet opening registeringv therewith. and means opposite the outlet openings oic said passages for movingv cans into and from said piston valves.

4. The combination, iii a sterilizing apparatus. of a steam chamber having a plurality of channels disposed side by side, screws underlying said channels and having a portion within the same for operative engagement with a plurality of cans disposed on end, said screws having their threads engaging the lower can head, verticalinlet and outlet passages at the opposite ends of said steam chamber, means for driving said screws, vertically reciprocating piston valves adapted to register with said channels and having open centers for introducing cans to and removing them from the channels above said screws, each of said channels having an inlet and an outlet opening, means opposite the outlet openings of said channels for pushing cans into and from said piston valves, and means for operating the several parts of the mechanism in timed relation so that when one can is introduced to the apparatus another is removed therefrom.

5. The combination, in a sterilizing appa- 'ratus, of a steam chamber having a plurality of can channels disposed side by side in; the same horizontal plane, screws underlying the same for .operative engagement with.

cans disposed on end, inlet and outlet passages at the opposite ends of said steam chamber, means for driving said screws, said screws having threads so disposed as to support and engage the end heads of the cans, 'and means vertically movable in said passages for introducing cans to and removing them from said conveyer screws, said means comprising a vertically reciprocable member havin a can recess with a horizontal lower wall or supporting the can in an upright position.

6. The combination, in a sterilizing apparatus, of a; steam chamber having a plurality l of can channels disposed side by side in the same horizontal plane, screws underlying said channels and having their threads en- `.said inlet and outlet passages for introducing cans to and removing them from said conveyer screws in timed relation, said means comprising a vertically reciprocable member having a 'can recess with a horizontal lower wall for supporting the can in an upright position.

7. The combination, in a sterilizing apparatus, of a steam chamber, a plurality of conveyer screws mounted in said chamber for moving cans disposed on end, said screws having their threads engaging the lower can head, vertically arranged inlet and outlet passages at the ends of said steam chamber,

` vertically movable piston valves operable in said inlet and outlet passages and having open centers through which the cans may be crosswise pushed, means for moving cans into said open centers of the valves, pusher members for movingcans out of said open centers from the inlet valve` to the screw conveyer in the steam chamber and from the outlet valve to a conveyer belt, and means for automatically operating said can pushers.

8.` The combination, in a sterilizing apparatus, of a steam chamber, a car channel therein having parallel portions, a plurality of conveyer screws mounted in said chamber and underlying said channel, brackets supporting said channel above and free of the screws, means for driving said conveyer screws in the same direction, said screws having the pitch of their threads lying in different directions so that cans arranged on end may be moved in the parallel portions of the channel in opposite direction .by adjoining screws turning in the same direc- .f tionl` vertically disposed inlet und outlet passages at opposite ends of said steam chainber, piston Valves vertically operable in Saud inlet and outlet passa-ges and having open centers through which the cans may be' erosswise pushed, horizontally operating pusher members for moving cans 1n and out of the open centers of the valves, means for Continuously driving said screws, and means for intermittently actuating the means for 10 feeding the eens to and removing them from said screws.

ln Witness whereof l nix my si gnature. 

